Living Gluten-Free in a Gluten-Loving Household

It is possible to live a gluten-free existence in a household that isn’t solely without wheat products; it just takes a little extra diligence and know-how to keep everyone healthy. The first step is to make sure everyone in the house understands what items contain gluten and the consequences involved. Talk to your children and significant other and give them a quick lesson on gluten-free living. Making sure that everyone knows the consequences will cut down on the “accidents” that can happen when no one is looking. Maybe even make a “bad list” of items that are usually found in your house that contain gluten and leave it in the kitchen area for everyone to reference.

The next step would be to set up a gluten-free area in your kitchen. This only has to be a little counter space and a few kitchen tools that are kept separate and do not to come into contact with products that contain gluten. Utensils like cutting boards and knives can be major sources of cross contamination if you are not careful. If this is not possible in your kitchen, make sure that all utensils are washed toughly in hot soapy water and given a good scrub between uses. Another cross contamination tip is to be sure that all cleaned utensil are stored in a drawer or cupboard. This is because some gluten containing foods like wheat flour have a tendency to become air borne when cooking, and land in unexpected places like on the bowls in your drying rack.

Lastly, watch out for crumbs in your appliances. Toasters and ovens tend to collect crumbs that can be transferred from meal to meal. Before cooking, give your appliances a quick wipe down to get rid of any of these potentially gluten-containing crumbs. Following these tips and staying diligent is the best way to stay healthy in a gluten-loving household.